


What We Left Behind

by MerryDreaming



Series: Under the Myriad, a Place is Earned (Fire Emblem Heroes) [9]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes
Genre: Female Summoner | Eclat | Kiran, Gen, Original Character Backstory Exploration, Physical Abuse, RIP, Verbal Abuse, dream connection, this entire thing is a lowkey shitshow, this just in: ravens are a goddamn shitshow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 18:16:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15054968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerryDreaming/pseuds/MerryDreaming
Summary: An odd circumstance sees Aileen able to talk to Gunnthrá in her homeland of Tellius, and they go exploring.





	What We Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> So! The main fic is likely gonna be on hiatus for a good, long while; I've got other obligations to take care of. However, I will likely be doing sidestories based off of the paralogues and the like for the considerable while. So, hopefully that's alright!
> 
> This is another Weekly Writing Thread inspired prompt: "In a strange twist of fate, the Summoner has found themselves at home! But who did they bring along?"
> 
> There's a lot at play here that's gonna likely be very vague, just as a warning.

Waking up on dirt isn't exactly how Aileen planned to start her morning.

In fact, Aileen was pretty sure that the last thing she remembered seeing was the library in Askr; she should be among a pile of strategy books, not on the ground of some...weird place or another. Truth be told, Aileen wasn't sure where she was. It looked a little bit like a village of some sort, but her eyes were still adjusting to the light of the sun that was threatening to blind her. Askr's sun was bright enough, but this was why she wasn't a fan of sleeping outside; adjusting her eyes had to be the worst possible thing.

Of course, she didn't have to worry for long; a distinct chuckle managed to come from nearby, causing Aileen to shoot up from her spot on the ground to look at the source. A very familiar, pink haired source.

"Oh my, you've finally awoken! I was wondering if I might need to wake you myself."

"Gu...Gunnthrá?" Aileen's bewildered words are enough to make the younger woman laugh, walking over and offering a hand to the older raven with a warm smile. "Prin--Princess, uh--"

"Shh...don't trouble yourself with titles, my dear Aileen." The eldest princess of Nifl's smile continues unabated, and she helps Aileen up when the woman takes her hand. "What matters is that you are safe."

"How...does that dream connection just..."

"It still works. Even after I have died, I am still able to communicate to you through these dreams. Though...I must admit, I question whether this may be one of them." Gunnthrá's tone goes a little softer there, her smile becoming sad. "Forgive me...I could not have anticipated that Surtr would have found me so quickly. There was little I could do when I was surrounded."

"Don't." Aileen finds her look shifting away at that, grimacing. "Be more appropriate to apologize to Princess. For that."

"...Fjorm, you mean?"

"Yeah. Princess." Aileen's look doesn't shift back to Gunnthrá, once her eyes manage to catch something on the ground. It looks like she had been asleep next to some sort of building, which was concerning in it's own right. But at the bottom of the stone foundation of that building seemed to be some sort of hole, where light could get through. Aileen starts to go down to her knees to inspect it, but--

A sudden, sharp pull is enough to make Aileen reconsider her actions, as she winds up back on her back with Gunnthrá staring up at her. To her credit, she looks apologetic, but...

"What was that for?!"

"What's down there is nothing you need concern yourself with. Please, believe me when I say that." Gunnthrá states that with an almost desperate certainty, clutching a hand close to her chest. "...Please. Let us go elsewhere."

"...This really a dream?"

"It is as I've said; I am not certain." Gunnthrá looks away when she speaks, though, seeming troubled for a moment. "You had been asleep for quite some time, when I found myself here. I have seen people come by this place more than once. It...has lead me to believe that we may truly be somewhere else."

"...Gotta get back to Askr, then. Soon. Can't stay in this place, it's--"

Aileen starts to get up when she speaks, in an almost frantic manner, but Gunnthrá walks up to her and hugs her tightly. It's enough to get Aileen to seize right up, her throat almost feeling like it's closing in on her. Gunnthrá uses the bewilderment to speak calmingly to the woman, running a finger through what little of her hair wasn't done in a braid.

"You will be fine. I have complete and utter faith that you will be fine, my dear. I promise you this." Gunnthrá's words are soothing, if only to try and get Aileen's mind off of matters. "Tell me...what is the last thing you remember?"

"...Falling asleep in the library. Askr's."

"Then it's simple; when you fall asleep here, you will return to Askr." Gunnthrá seems to sigh in relief at that, gently separating from Aileen with a smile. "You don't need to be frazzled, dear. I promise you that."

"...Mean..." Aileen seems to look away a bit, rubbing the back of her head. "...Never mind. Force of habit. Sorry."

"It's quite fine. For now...may we get away from this place?" Gunnthrá smiles sweetly when she says that much, though there's a rushed urgency to it that's ever present in her tone. "I would like to see more of it, if you would allow such a thing."

Aileen perks a bit at that, though it's more out of amusement than anything. It should be making her apprehensive, but...really, what Gunnthrá says makes sense to her. Besides, she's certain that the princess wouldn't lie to her.

"Don't know if the place is somewhere known. But can fly you around, if need be."

"Fly me...oh, are you going to carry me?"

"Well, yeah. Course. Can't exactly fly yourself, can you?"

Gunnthrá chuckles for a moment, hiding it behind her hand. It was at least funny to hear about, if nothing else, even if Gunnthrá was evading a few questions. "Well, I suppose I cannot argue with that. Carry me away, my darling summoner!"

...That admittedly causes Aileen's cheeks to color a bit, but she picks the woman up easily enough--she's a little on the heavier side, enough for her to feel it, but it she does manage to lift her easily as her wings start to flare and take them into the air.

"Hang on. Gonna likely be a bit bumpy."

"Of course."

As they take off, Aileen takes one last look at the ground below them and...huh. Maybe it's just the effect of whatever caused them both to be in this place? That's what Aileen is thinking, and it causes her to shrug it off easily enough, especially since it seems to be happening to herself and Gunnthrá.

After all, it'd be odd if anyone else were missing their shadow.

* * *

It takes a while of flying around the land, but by the time Aileen reaches the waters, she's certain of one thing; this is  _absolutely_  Tellius. Aileen's memories are certainly jogged the more toward the sea they reach; she starts to recognize the villages nearby, from the places she had traveled to before with her father's band. It's from there that Aileen decides her direction; she wants to check what's become of Kilvas while she's away, and if she can find her former home. Maybe check on her brother and his girlfriend, see how they're doing since she went away. Sure, she can't be altogether certain that Sorcha is still even with Firas after their spat before Aileen came to Askr, but...

Well, Aileen doesn't think about it in too much detail. She simply regales the eldest princess of Nifl with the many tales of her home, if only to distract herself from thinking too much.

The more Aileen speaks of it, though, the more Gunnthrá's face seems to fall. Her look is almost a pained expression by the time Aileen talks about the things that they've stolen, all of the things she's done to her fellow laguz and the beorc.

"Aileen...were you actually happy? Doing all of that?"

Gunnthrá's question almost makes Aileen stop mid-air, the stop almost jerking the princess out of her arms by just what the question does to her. But she keeps flying onward, adjusting the borderline bridal carry that Aileen has her in, and her look neutralizes.

"Didn't have time to consider that. Just...did what had to be done, to live."

It doesn't make Gunnthrá's pained look go away in any regard. No, if anything it makes such a thing  _worse_. Aileen keeps her focus elsewhere while she flies, so she doesn't have to look at the woman who looks like she pities her. It's the last thing she needs, really.

"Aileen...that's no way for  _anyone_  to live. Whether or not they are Laguz or Beorc." Gunnthrá's words are very soft, close to pitying but just shying away from it. "To have to commit crime in order to survive...that's..."

"Just the way of the world." Aileen's words are automatic; clipped, even. Still, her look shifts to one of frustration, and she finds herself shaking her head. "Well... _was_."

"Because you were summoned to Askr."

"Yeah."

That makes Gunnthrá smile, just the slightest bit. The Order of Heroes likely would have been exceedingly hesitant to keep her around if she committed such things under their banner, so it must have meant that something changed within her. "I take it that you would stay there, if you had the option."

"...Pretty sure, yeah." Despite the uncertainty of Aileen's answer, a ghost of something resembling a smile comes onto her face. It's clear that despite any and all turbulence that she really did adore Askr. It gets a bit of a smile to come onto Gunnthrá's face, though it's a little mischievous.

"Perhaps finding someone you fancy will make that a more certain answer?"

That causes Aileen to practically sputter, almost dropping Gunnthrá into the water below, only saved by the woman clinging for dear life and Aileen clinging right back to the woman. By the time the eldest princess looks back up at the raven, her face has gone a startling shade of red that causes her to break out into laughter at seeing it.

"Qu...quiet! That's just embarrassing!" Aileen's indignant words do nothing to hide the face that she feels immensely called out. "Besides, just...need to stop this war, then could live peacefully. That's all it is."

"Oh, dear Aileen, there's nothing embarrassing about love! Why, I was a young girl in love once myself, you know." Gunnthrá's chuckle is light and airy, and it makes Aileen fly a little faster to try and get toward Kilvas. "Does that mean you already have your eyes on someone?"

"No! Wouldn't tell if I did, anyway."

"You know, it's not like I could tell a soul now. Your secret would be perfectly safe with me."

" _No_." Aileen's answer is blunt and to the point, though her face is still screaming red. It's about this time that Aileen finally notices some familiar figures below--boats, and from the looks of it, she recognizes some of the people aboard.

Considering the fact that she couldn't miss her brother's far too ambitious fashion choices from a mile away, nor the commanding presence of her so-called father, it was a dead giveaway as to what was happening. Many fellow ravens seemed to fly past the two women, not even noticing their presence in the sky. It gave Aileen enough time to properly land on the boat that her father and brother were arguing on, allowing herself and Gunnthrá to properly hear what was going on.

"You're working me to the  _bone_ , old man! You can't even be grateful that I'm working my tail feathers off, and you're humiliating me in front of my men because I'm not fast enough?!"

Considering the sheer fury in Firas tone while he shouts their father down, it was...definitely not something that Aileen had heard out of Firas. Well, not in front of their father, but...

"Oh, my...is this common, between them...?"

Gunnthrá's question gets a shake of the head from Aileen, who seems utterly taken aback. "Not unless Brother wants a few less teeth.  _Nobody_  backtalks Father like that and gets away with it."

"H--He's that sort...?" Gunnthrá doesn't want to say that such a thing makes  _sense_ , in hindsight, but considering the fact that the stony man seems pretty close to his exploding point, it goes a long way into explaining a lot. The two's words are cut short when Firas is finished shouting, and the older raven looks his son directly in the eyes.

"I expect your work to be done  _my_  way! I've told you countless times, and this time is no different!" The older man is almost  _frighteningly_  angry, and his shouts are enough to get any of the other crows to fly elsewhere for the time being. They want no part in this shitshow, it seems. "I raised you better than this, boy! When I say I want the work done by high tide, I expect it to be done!"

"For hell's sake, father, give me more men to work with! You expect me to loot all of these ships with  _five_  extra men?!"

"You think you deserve any extra help after you let your sister slip off?" The man practically snorts at his son. "I'd sooner kick you into the sea myself. You're perfectly capable of doing this work if you stop being a lazy sack of manure. I entrusted you both with the men you  _needed_. No more, no less."

"Why you--!" Firas looks ready to kill, and his wings flare as if he's getting ready to strike out at the man--

But their father is quicker, and proceeds to grab Firas by the scruff of his neck and cause the younger raven to yelp out in surprise. His wings recede in on themselves, and the two women can only imagine that he's scared for his life at the man who could easily snap his neck.

"Don't think because you're my flesh and blood that I  _won't_  put you in an early grave, lad. Do I make myself clear? Because next time, your rear end is sleeping with the Beorc we've killed today. Got it?"

The swift nod of the head is all that man needs before he unceremoniously drops his son onto the ground, starting to take to the air. " _Good_. Pick up the damned pace, you steaming pile of dung."

By the time the older raven flies away, the two women are left staring at a man who punches the planks of the ship he's on and curses like there's no tomorrow. Gunnthrá's face is knit into one of horror, her hand obscuring the gasp that escapes her lips. Even Aileen seems unnerved, if only slightly, though she stares at her brother with contempt.

"Idiot. What'd you think that'd get you?"

It's softly angry, though, and Gunnthrá watches Aileen begin to disorient a bit. Almost as if she's faint... "Aileen, are you okay? What's happening?"

"...Think I'm..." A yawn finally escapes her, and her eyes seem to shut a little too easily. "Waking up...over there. Sorry..."

"...It's quite alright, Aileen. Please, wake up."

Gunnthrá's words are the soft encouragement that Aileen needs to fall back asleep. Well, on that side, at least.

* * *

"...Aileen? Aileen, wake up."

The gentle shaking that Saias gives Aileen to try and rouse her hasn't exactly proven effective--the priest was more than ready and willing to give up on it, when he watches Aileen shoot up from Askr's library table like a shot, books and papers flying everywhere.

"--Take the left flank so we can separate their forces, enabling...us to..." Oh, joy, her tactical readings are the first thing she thinks of. It's...enough to make Aileen sigh, as she watches a few pieces of paper fall off of her cheek, picking up the various battle plans she had drafted up. She's still a little dazed, but Saias's voice brings her back into reality.

"...I see you're taking your studies very seriously." It's those words that get Aileen to turn to face Saias, who has...well, a slightly  _exasperated_  look on his face, but he seems pleased? It's a start. "It'd do you better to sleep in a room, now that we're in the castle."

"...Sorry. Got distracted doing these all up." Aileen gestures to the paper filled table, and Saias surveys it with a contemplative expression. There seems to be a lot of different plans, though they all seem to be varying levels of incomplete.

"It's quite alright. I can help gather these up for you, before you go--you're needed by Prince Alfonse and Princess Sharena."

"Yeah? What for?" Aileen perks her head as she watches him gingerly gather all of the papers she had out.

"Well...Commander Anna has gone and done something rather inadvisable, and they need your assistance in taking part in a competition." Saias seems almost apologetic when he says that, sighing just the slightest bit. "If almost entirely because the Commander bet our entire supply of gold..."

"...She  _what_."

"No, I'm afraid I'm not saying that in jest. I'm certain that the sooner you go down there, the better." Saias finishes gathering the papers up, smiling if only a bit. "...I will gladly go over these with you once we are both back. I have prior responsibilities, but I will meet with you once a course of action is decided."

"...Alright. Gonna head out, then." Aileen gets out of the chair, going toward the door and stopping just short of it before turning back to Saias. "Hey...Saias?"

Saias turns to her easily, though he seems to be a little surprised when she calls him out by name. Doesn't she only do that with his aunt...? "Yes...?"

"Thanks. For helping us out, and...helping with the tactics, too. It's appreciated."

Aileen leaves after she says that much, but Saias simply stares at the door for a moment before chuckling to himself.

"It really is no trouble, you know."


End file.
